Syringe

ABSTRACT

A syringe comprising a barrel carrying a cartridge containing a liquid medicament and closed at one end by a penetrable closure and the opposite end provided with a plunger slidable in the cartridge. A piercing member is slidable mounted on the barrel to pierce the penetrable closure and permit the discharge of the liquid medicament upon pushing the plunger into the cartridge. The plunger of the cartridge is pushed into the cartridge by spring actuated mechanism mounted in the barrel contiguous to the cartridge plunger and retained in compressed condition by latch members of resilient material and actuated into and out of engagement with the spring actuated mechanism by a pair of manipulating members slidable over the latch members and removable from the latch members and the barrel for the removal of the spring actuated mechanism and the replacement of a spent cartridge.

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[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,650,591 9/1953 Love 2,667,874 2/1954 Dickinson,

PATENTED JAN 2 6 I97! SHEET [1F 4 ATTORNEY SYRINGE The spring actuated mechanism comprises a piston, a plunger and a spring between the piston and the plunger with the piston contiguous to the cartridge plunger and the spring actuated plunger having an end portion extended from the end of the barrel opposite the end provided with the piercing member and said extended end of the spring actuated plunger provided with a manipulating knob arranged to be engaged by the latch members to maintain the spring in compressed condition. The resiliency of the latch members moves said latch members into and out of engagement with the piston and the manipulating knob of the spring actuated plunger under the control of the sliding movements of the annular members.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the syringe completely assembled and ready for use;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cartridge in condition to be placed in the barrel;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the syringe;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the positions of the spring actuated plunger and piston after a cartridge has been positioned in the barrel with the latch members retaining the piston contiguous to the cartridge plunger;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the penetrable closure of the cartridge being pierced by the penetrating member and the spring of the spring actuated mechanism in fully compressed condition;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing the spring actuated piston in released condition with the cartridge plunger abutting the penetrable closure of the cartridge indicating that said cartridge is fully spent;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows to show latch members retaining the spring actuated piston .in spring compressing position;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken on' the line 8-8 of FIG. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows to show the latch members retaining the spring actuated plunger in spring compressing position;

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the parts of the syringe in their order of assembly; and

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the cartridge.

The syringe comprises a barrel 11 having a fully open end 12 and a center opening 13 at the opposite end. Intermediate the ends of the barrel, there is provided diametrically opposed openings 14 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

A cartridge 15 having a penetrable closure in the discharge end comprising a body 16 having friction grooves 17 and a tapering flow passage 18 closed by a thin penetrable wall 19 at the extremity of a protuberance 20 adapted to project through the barrel opening 13, as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. The opposite end of the cartridge 15 is closed by a plunger 21 having friction grooves 22. Either-the closure 16-20 or the plunger 21, 22 is first inserted in the cartridge and then the cartridge is filled with a liquid medicament 23 and then the cartridge is fully sealed by either the closure 16-20 or the plunger 21, 22.

The fully filled cartridge 15 is inserted into the barrel 11 through the open end 12 and positioned in said barrel with the protuberance 20 projecting from the opening 13 of the barrel.

A piston 24 of a spring actuated mechanism is inserted in the barrel 11 against the plunger 21 and said piston 24 is provided with a center recess 25 for the reception of an end of a spring 26 having the other end engaged in a recess 27 in one end of a plunger 28 having a manipulating knob 29 secured to the opposite end of the plunger 28. The knob 29 is arranged with an annular ridge 30 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The diameter of the piston isslightly less than the inner diameter of the cartridge 15 so that said piston can slide in said cartridge.

The movement of the piston 24 and the plunger 28 under the influence of the spring 26 is controlled by latch members comprising a pair of latches 31 of resilient material pivoted at one end on a pin 32 supported by ears 33 extended from diametrically opposite portions of the barrel 11 between the openings 14 and the open end 12. The opposite ends of the latches 31 are provided with lateral end portions or projections 34 having a beveled edge 35 adapted to project into the barrel 11 through the openings 14 to engage a beveled edge 36 on the piston 24, the beveled edges 35 being normally positioned out of the bore of the barrel under the influence of the resiliency of the latches, as shown in FIG. 6. A pair of latches 37 of resilient material are pivoted on the pins 31 between forked end portions 38 of the latches 31, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, with the free end portions of the latches 37 arranged with outwardly extending projections or lateral end portions 39 to engage the ridge 30 of the manipulating knob 29. The resilience of the latches 37 will normally position the projections 38 into engagement with the ridge 30. To facilitate said engagement, the projections are beveled as at 40 to slide over a beveled face 41 of the ridge 30.

In assembling the syringe, the cartridge 15 is first inserted into the barrel 11 with the protuberance 20 positioned in the opening 13 of the barrel. After the cartridge 15 is inserted into the barrel 11, the piston 24, the spring 26 and the plunger 28 are sequentially inserted into the barrel. To permit the insertion of the piston 24, the spring 26 and the plunger 28 into the barrel 1 1 through the open end 12, the projections 34 have to be positioned out of-the bore of the barrel 11 and the projections 39 have to be out of the path of movement of the ridge 30. This is accomplished by providing two annular members 42 and 43 arranged with manipulating annular flanges 44 and 45, respectively, and slidingly engaged on the latches 31 and 37, respectively. To permit engagement of the annular members 42 and 43 onto the latches 31 and 37, respectively, the member 42 is provided with diametrically opposed notches 46 and the member 43 is provided with diametrically opposed notches 47, as shown in FIGS. 1, 7 and 9. The notches 46 and 47 are of sufficient depth to permit passage of the projections 34 and 39, respectively, through said notches when the notches are aligned with said projections.

After the piston 24, the spring 26 and the plunger 28 are assembled in the barrel 11, the annular member 42 is actuated toward the projections 34 to position the beveled edges 35 into engagement with the beveled edge 36 and retain the piston 24 in spaced relation to the plunger 21 of the cartridge 15. The annular member 43 is moved toward the pins 32 to permit the projections 39 to engage the ridge 30 of the manipulating knob 29 under the influence of the resiliency of the latches 37, as shown in FIG. 5.

In this position of the piston 24 and the plunger 28, the spring 26 is compressed and the syringe is in condition to expel the liquid medicament 23 into a patient. Before this is possible, the thin penetrable wall 19 is punctured by a penetrating member comprising a cap member 48 slidably engaged on the end portion of the barrel 11 arranged with the opening 13 and said cap member is provided with nipples 49 to engage an annular groove 50 in the barrel 11 and position a piercing spike 51 in spaced relation to the thin penetrable wall 19, as shown in FIG. 4. The piercing spike 51 is carried by a base 52 inserted in the cap member 48. The cap member 48 is in the position shown in FIG. 4 when the syringe is in condition for storage and shipping. when it is desired to place the syringe in condition for expelling or injecting the liquid medicament 23, the nipples 49 are forcedly disengaged from the annular groove 50 by pushing the cap member 48 onto the barrel 11 which will force the piercing spike 51 through the thin penetrable wall 19.

When it is desired to inject the liquid medicament 23 into a patient, the cap member 48 is removed from its forward position on the barrel 11, the protuberance 20 is placed on the patient's skin at the desired point of injection, and the annular member 42 is moved toward the annular member 43 by the person applying the injection engaging the manipulating knob 29 in the palm of his hand'and the two forward fingers engaging the annular flange 44. Said movement of the annular member 42 will permit the latches 31 under the influence of their resiliency to move the beveled edges 35 out of the bore of the barrel 11 and the spring 26 to forcedly move the piston 24 against the plunger 21 and expel the liquid medicament into the patient, as shown in H0. 6.

After an injection, the annular member 43 is actuated by engaging the annular flange 45 toward the manipulating knob 29 to position the projections 39 out of engagement with the annular ridge 30 which will permit the removal of the plunger 28, the spring 26 and the piston 24 from the barrel H. The removal of the spring actuated mechanism will permit the removal of the spent or exhausted cartridge from the barrel 11 and the replacement of a fresh cartridge shown in FIG. 2. The spring actuated mechanism is assembled in the barrel 11 in the manner hereinbefore described.

lclaim:

l. A syringe comprising a barrel, a cartridge containing a liquid medicament and provided with a penetrable closure in one end projecting from one end of the barrel and a plunger in the other end of the cartridge, spring actuated mechanism removably mounted in the barrel contiguous to the plunger of the cartridge, latch members mountedon an intermediate portion of the barrel and arranged to retain the spring actuated mechanism in the barrel and adapted to be actuated to release the spring actuated mechanism to move'the plunger of the cartridge toward the penetrable closure, and a penetrating member slidably mounted on the end portion of the barrel arranged with the penetrable closure and actuated to pierce said penetrable closure prior to the actuation of the latch members.

2. A syringe as claimed in claim ll, wherein the barrel is provided with an open end to assemble the cartridge andthe spring actuated mechanism in said barrel with the opposite end having a center opening smaller than the inner diameter of the barrel for projecting the penetrable closure of the cartridge.

3. A syringe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spring actuated mechanism comprises a piston slidable in the barrel, a plunger slidable in the barrel with a portion extended from the barrel, and a spring compressed between the piston and the plunger.

4. A syringe as claimed in claim 3, wherein the latch members comprise two pairs of latches of resilient material supported on the barrel, the first pair oflatches having lateral end portions extended into the barrel to engage and space the piston from the plunger of the cartridge.

5. A syringe as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second pair of latches is provided with lateral portionspositioned beyond the open end of the barrel to engage the extended portion of the plunger of the spring actuated mechanism and retain the plunger in a predetermined position in the barrel.

6. A syringe as claimed in claim 5, wherein the lateral end portions of the first pair of latches extend toward each other and the lateral end portions of the second pair of latches extend away from each other.

7. A syringe as claimed in claim 5, wherein the extended portion of the plunger of the spring actuated mechanism is provided with a manipulating knob having an annular ridge to be engaged by the second pair of latches.

8. A syringe as claimed in claim 3, wherein the latch members comprises two pairs of latches of resilient material mounted on a pair of opposed pivots on the barrel, each pivot supporting a latch of each pair, a pair of annular members, each member slidable on a different pair of latches to actuate the free ends of the latches into and out of latching engagement with the piston and the plunger of the spring actuated mechanism.

9. A syringe as claimed in claim 8, wherein each annular member is provided with an annular flange to form a manipulating portion.

10. A syringe as claimed in claim 8, wherein each annular member is arranged with diametrically opposed notches for sliding said annular members on and off the latches.

11. A syringe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the penetrating member comprises a cap member releasably mounted on the barrel and a piercing spike secured in the bottom of the cap member to pierce the penetrable closure of the cartridge upon moving the cap member onto the barrel. 

1. A syringe comprising a barrel, a cartridge containing a liquid medicament and provided with a penetrable closure in one end projecting from one end of the barrel and a plunger in the other end of the cartridge, spring actuated mechanism removably mounted in the barrel contiguous to the plunger of the cartridge, latch members mounted on an intermediate portion of the barrel and arranged to retain the spring actuated mechanism in the barrel and adapted to be actuated to release the spring actuated mechanism to move the plunger of the cartridge toward the penetrable closure, and a penetrating member slidably mounted on the end portion of the barrel arranged with the penetrable closure and actuated to pierce said penetrable closure prior to the actuation of the latch members.
 2. A syringe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the barrel is provided with an open end to assemble the cartridge and the spring actuated mechanism in said barrel with the opposite end having a center opening smaller than the inner diameter of the barrel for projecting the penetrable closure of the cartridge.
 3. A syringe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spring actuated mechanism comprises a piston slidable in the barrel, a plunger slidable in the barrel with a portion extended from the barrel, and a spring compressed between the piston and the plunger.
 4. A syringe as claimed in claim 3, wherein the latch members comprise two pairs of latches of resilient material supported on the barrel, the first pair of lAtches having lateral end portions extended into the barrel to engage and space the piston from the plunger of the cartridge.
 5. A syringe as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second pair of latches is provided with lateral portions positioned beyond the open end of the barrel to engage the extended portion of the plunger of the spring actuated mechanism and retain the plunger in a predetermined position in the barrel.
 6. A syringe as claimed in claim 5, wherein the lateral end portions of the first pair of latches extend toward each other and the lateral end portions of the second pair of latches extend away from each other.
 7. A syringe as claimed in claim 5, wherein the extended portion of the plunger of the spring actuated mechanism is provided with a manipulating knob having an annular ridge to be engaged by the second pair of latches.
 8. A syringe as claimed in claim 3, wherein the latch members comprises two pairs of latches of resilient material mounted on a pair of opposed pivots on the barrel, each pivot supporting a latch of each pair, a pair of annular members, each member slidable on a different pair of latches to actuate the free ends of the latches into and out of latching engagement with the piston and the plunger of the spring actuated mechanism.
 9. A syringe as claimed in claim 8, wherein each annular member is provided with an annular flange to form a manipulating portion.
 10. A syringe as claimed in claim 8, wherein each annular member is arranged with diametrically opposed notches for sliding said annular members on and off the latches.
 11. A syringe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the penetrating member comprises a cap member releasably mounted on the barrel and a piercing spike secured in the bottom of the cap member to pierce the penetrable closure of the cartridge upon moving the cap member onto the barrel. 